Cable connecting member for use in cold climates

Abstract

A cable connecting member for use in cold climates includes a rubber insulating tube housing an end of a cable and enhancing electrical insulation from the cable. A rubber spacer is inserted between the rubber insulating tube and the end of the cable. At a temperature at which an elongation modulus of the rubber insulating tube increases three or more times as high as the elongation modulus of the rubber insulating tube at room temperature, an elongation modulus of the rubber spacer at such temperature is less than three times as high as the elongation modulus of the rubber spacer at room temperature.

1. A cable connecting member for use in cold climates, comprising:
 a rubber insulating tube housing an end of a cable and enhancing electrical insulation from the cable; and 
 a rubber spacer inserted between said rubber insulating tube and the end of the cable, 
 wherein said rubber spacer has an outer peripheral surface making contact with an inner peripheral surface of a spacer holder provided in said rubber insulating tube, the spacer holder into which said rubber spacer is inserted, and an outside diameter of said rubber spacer is equal to or greater than an inside diameter of the spacer holder, 
 wherein the inside diameter of said rubber spacer is designed so as to be equal to or smaller than the outside diameter of the outer peripheral surface of an insulation layer of the cable, 
 wherein when the cable to which said rubber spacer is attached is inserted into said rubber insulating tube, an outer peripheral surface of said rubber spacer is brought into contact with an inner peripheral surface of said rubber insulating tube by pressure by a rubber elasticity of said rubber insulating tube and/or said rubber spacer, and said rubber spacer is housed in said rubber insulating tube, 
 wherein said rubber insulating tube, being molded of rubber, is formed of a composition containing ethylene propylene rubber as a main ingredient, and said rubber spacer is formed of a composition containing silicone rubber as a main ingredient, and 
 wherein at a temperature at which an elongation modulus of said rubber insulating tube increases three or more times as high as the elongation modulus of said rubber insulating tube at room temperature, an elongation modulus of said rubber spacer at such temperature is less than three times as high as the elongation modulus of said rubber spacer at room temperature. 
 
     
     
       2. A cable connecting member for use in cold climates as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a vulcanized rubber layer formed on a spacer housing-side surface of said rubber insulating tube; and 
 a protective layer formed on said vulcanized rubber layer, 
 wherein at a temperature at which an elongation modulus of said rubber insulating tube increases three or more times as high as the elongation modulus of said rubber insulating tube at room temperature, an elongation modulus of said vulcanized rubber layer at such temperature is less than three times as high as the elongation modulus of the vulcanized rubber layer at room temperature. 
 
     
     
       3. A cable connecting member for use in cold climates as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said rubber insulating tube is formed of a rubber composition which is an ethylene propylene copolymer or a terpolymer containing a third component. 
     
     
       4. A cable connecting member for use in cold climates as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said rubber insulating tube has an inner semiconducting layer formed on an inner peripheral surface of a spacer holder into which the rubber spacer is housed, and the inner semiconducting layer makes contact with an outer peripheral surface of the rubber spacer. 
     
     
       5. A cable connecting member for use in cold climates as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the rubber spacer has an innermost surface making contact with an end face of an insulation layer of the cable, and the innermost surface has a hole for a conductor, through which the conductor of the cable is inserted. 
     
     
       6. A cable connecting member for use in cold climates as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the cable connecting member for use in cold climates is a connecting member which is directly connected to an apparatus, the connecting member for connecting an end of a cable to the apparatus. 
     
     
       7. A cable connecting member for use in cold climates as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the cable connecting member for use in cold climates is a straight connecting member for connecting ends of cables together.